Nutrisystem {Week 17}

Normally when I think of the holidays that are most likely to make me overeat, Thanksgiving and Christmas immediately come to mind.

But then there is Easter and that also means family gatherings and tables full of food and don't even think you can make it out without jelly beans and chocolate bunnies and Peeps of every different color.

Fortunately, Nutrisystem knows that the holiday season is a dreaded time for many people on a weight loss program but has a list of tips to ensure that you can enjoy the celebration without feeling punished or sacrificing your progress. They've got a way to help all of us in the Nutrisystem Nation (as well as anyone focusing on getting healthy) year-round!

Diet-friendly Strategies for Staying On Track During The Holidays

1. Have a plan. Think things through before you get to the actual holiday meals and parties. Maybe your strategy is to take tiny portions of different dishes; that’s okay. If you’re cooking, you might want to have your bottle of water with you in the kitchen, so you’re less tempted to snack. Do what you can to stay away from the appetizer table. Plan to avoid anything that’s not homemade. The point is that if you go in with a plan, you’ll be less likely to get caught off-guard.

2. Stay on track. Holidays are not the time to skip meals in an attempt to “bank” calories. That’s a strategy that can backfire miserably. Instead, eat everything on your meal plan leading up to the holiday event, and make sure you’re drinking all your water. You’ll be less likely to overindulge at the big event.

3. Set a goal. There’s something about holidays that makes people forget what they do the rest of the year. Do you already have weight loss goals set up for future months? If not, you can start today. Once you’ve set a short-term goal, decide on a way to reward yourself once the goal has been reached.

4. Drink smart. Face it, overindulging during holiday events—whether it’s an office party, a family gathering or a neighborhood open house—can add a lot of extra calories to your day. In addition, when you’ve had too much to drink, it tends to weaken your previous resolve and derail any strategies and plans you might have had. Besides, you don’t want to end up as that karaoke-singing family member or neighbor everyone will be talking about for the next month.

5. Trim the calories. This tip is especially useful if you happen to be the primary cook for an event. In baked items, replace the fat with an equal amount of applesauce and the sugar with a sugar substitute; substitute a quarter cup of egg substitute for every egg called for in the recipe; replace whole milk with 1% milk and sour cream with yogurt; reduce the amount of nuts called for by half. And don’t forget both veggies and salad.

6. Enlist support. Trying to maintain your Nutrisystem program can be hard at the holidays, but there’s no reason you have to go it alone. Ask for your family’s understanding or even their help, so nobody’s trying to foist “seconds” on you. Nutrisystem counselors can help you strategize, based on your individual circumstances. Or you can go to the Nutrisystem Discussion Boards, where you’ll find people who definitely understand what you’re trying to do. Discuss your concerns; share tips of your own, or join one of the many weight loss challenges. Some of them are specifically geared to the holidays. Introduce yourself well before the event, so you have that support already in place.

7. Keep moving. Instead of just sitting around after dinner, suggest a family walk, or organize a touch-football game. Most people will be grateful for the chance to move around, and it can keep you on-track with your exercise plan.

8. Embrace the spirit. This last tip may just be the most important: You can get so caught up in all the planning and hoopla that you lose the whole meaning of the holiday season—coming together with friends and loved ones. It’s the time that’s really valuable, not the food and drink.

My mother-in-law always makes a huge spread of food and I really did try my best to not eat too much of it, but I was already worried from a little slacking that I had done during this past week...

Previous loss: 20.2 lbs

This week: 0 lbs

Total loss: 20.2 lbs

Well, yeah. I deserve the no change due to the amount of time I spent being inactive compared to my usual workouts and the Oh, one extra snack here or there won't hurt me mentality that crept back in and the lack of water that I drank and the fact that I didn't do nearly as good of a job logging my meals on Nutrisystem's great online tracking program.

All of that definitely adds up to no weight loss - not to mention throwing Easter eating in there. No more for this week though, the excuses are done! Even though 20.2 pounds is an amazing accomplishment, I'm still completely determined to lose more and know that I can do it by sticking with the program. If you want to see how you can lose weight and get healthy with me, visit Nutrisystem today or call 888-853-4689!

Want to hear how other awesome bloggers are doing? Head over and visit with Heather at Living on Love and Cents, Sara at "Deal"icious Mom, Heather at Our Kids Mom, Melissa at Sippy Cup Mom, Brett at Mama Loves Her Bargains and LeeAnn at The Life of Rylie...& Bryce, too! and cheer them on as well! I guarantee you'll be inspired!

As a member of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program, Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me to review. However, all thoughts, opinions and results expressed are completely and honestly mine; your experience or feelings may differ.